Former Levi Strauss factory in Płock. There is a Jan Spekter factory

“One man’s junk is another man’s treasure”, i.e. what is trash for one turns out to be treasure for another. This old American proverb very well shows the latest chapter of the history of one of the clothing factories in Łódź.

One day they were sewing jeans for the famous American brand Levi Strauss, and the next they learned that the plant would be saved by Poles and a new brand of trousers, Jan Spekter.

Jan Spekter saves Płock. The plant also serves other brands

Daniel Kurowski came to the meeting with the factory workers and told the crew that he did not have 40 years to build the brand and that he did not come to save them. – It’s not like I went there to save them all, because I had a business in it from the very beginning – he said on money.pl. There was a business opportunity, he took more advantage of it.

He compared the takeover of the plant to the takeover of the Mercedes factory with know-how, machines and people. For some employees, a job interview was the second such interview in their lives; the first one took place after school, over 30 years earlier. After the change of ownership, over 50 people still work at the plant. Kurowski hired specialists: trainers, production organizers, mechanics, technologists and seamstresses.

To survive, a sewing factory must produce approximately 15-20 thousand. pieces of trousers per month, i.e. approximately 200,000. pairs per year, so in addition to its new brand, it now also serves external brands. The beginning of cooperation did not bode well, because the client, who declared 50 percent production occupancy withdrew from the contract after sewing 100 pieces. The factory lost liquidity for several weeks. And only for a few weeks. Kurowski was joined by Maciej Kowalski – the founder of Kombinat Konopny, which will produce hemp trousers at the Płock plant. He has his own hemp plantation.

Trousers for men, but soon also clothing for women

According to money.pl, Jan Spekter pants are available in over 150 partner outlets in the country. Daniel Kurowski says that the brand sells many thousands of pieces a month this way, although there is no point yet, including: in Warsaw. In his opinion, the development possibilities of this network are great. – The potential is enormous. We can easily double and triple it within a year or two, he explains.

The brand positions itself conservatively on the market – as timeless elegance for men, because men are more conservative when purchasing, more loyal and often return for the same model. “We believe that true elegance lies in simplicity. Our designs combine timeless design with a modern cut, creating trousers that will last for years without losing any of their character.” – announces on the website. The offer also includes jeans. But another tab has already appeared on the website – women’s clothing. It’s empty for now.